Improvement in turbine water-wheels



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HA. cHADwroK, or Vcultuur, Texas,`

Letters Patent No. 98,665, dated January l1, 1870; antedatecl December 29, 1869i IMPROVEMENT IN TURBIENE WATER-WHEELS.

The Schedule referred to in these `Lettere Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern 4 Be it known that I, H. A. GHknwrcK, of Burnet,

in the county of Burnet, and in the State of Texas,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine \Vater\Vheels; and do hereby dclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tov the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in Whichp Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheel, with the front of the cylinder or casing removed;

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the same, on the line a: a; otitig. 1, showing the scroll-valves;

Figure 3 is a top view of the casing;

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the casing, on the line y y of fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a broken longitudinal section of said casing; and

Figure 6 is a cross-section of the wheel, on the line z z of fig. 1. l a

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the tiger-es.

In turbine water-,wheels as at present constructed,

' the water' issues with more or less force from the flume,

showing conclusively that all of its power has not been given to the wheel, and that, consequently, there is b oth a waste of water and loss of ower.

To obviate these objections, an fully economize all the power of the water,l is the object of my invention, which consist in the employment of direct and reaction spiral buckets, arranged upon the wheel in alternate sets, wit-h suitable guides for reversing the cnrrent of water, secured to the trunk or casing between each set, whereby said current, upon leaving each set `ot"buck ets, is reversed and caused to strike directly periphery, three sets of spiral buckets, B B, &c., thefaccs of which are at 'a Iightangle to the line of said wheel. The inclination or pitch of the bucketsis not the same during their entire length, it being quite sharp at the upper end, and for a short distance downward, and from thence tothe lower end less rapid, producing what is known as direct and reaction buckets. 1

lhe wheel is suitably journaled at either end, so as to revolve freely, and is surrounded by a cylinder or casing, C, the internal diameter of which corresponds with the external diameter of said wheel over the buckets. y

Secured radially upon the inside of the casing, between each -set ot' buckets, is a number of guides, D D, in the form of a short section of a spiral thread, which corresponds in breadth and thickness with the buckets, and nearly llslthe space between said casing and the wheel.

These guides are so placed as' to incline in the opposite direction from the buckets, and are t'or the purpose of reversing the current of water from` the buckets immediately above, so as to cause it to strike the buckets below at a right angle, or iu the same mauner as when enteiing the casing.

When thus constructed and arranged, if the water be allowed to enter the upper end of the casing, so as to strike the upper ends of the buckets at a right angle, its direct force will be communicated to the wheel, after which the downward flow of sai'd water will operate upon the balance of said buckets, `and by reaction communicate an additional percentage of its power to said wheel.

Upon issuing from the tirst set of buckets, the water l has a considerable velocity, but the current has been reversed, so that if allowed to 'strike the second set ot' buckets, its direct force would be lost, and it would act thereon only by reaction. The guides, however, receive the wateras it leaves thel buckets, and reverse its course, so as to cause it to strike the next set at the same angle as it did'the first, by which means its act-ion is the same, although in a diminished degree.

The same action and result are produced be each adof guides and buckets, fifty per cent. more power was l obtained than bythe single set, and that when another, or a second set of each was added, a further increase of twenty-five per cent. of power was gained,

after which the water left theexit-pipe or flume in a dead or exhausted state.

Immediately above the wheel A .is placed the inletpipe, Efopening into an annular chamber, F, corresponding in diameter with the bore ot' the .ca-sing, and having au inner wall, G, corresponding in diameter and shapepwith the wheel. i

A number of sections of a spiral, H H, &c., is pivoted at their centre upon the periphery ot the wall G, at equidistant points, the forward end of each overlapping the section immediatel)r in its front. When thus arranged, the sections or valves are allowed to vibrate upon the pivot, so as to permit them to be closed down upon euch other and check the tlow ot water, orplaccd in the position shown in iig. l, and allow said water to pass between and strike the buckets of the wheel.'

A rod, h, attached to the upper end of each valve,

extends upward through the casing, and is connected with across, I, or other equivalent device, by means of which said valves are simultaneously operated.

1t will be readily seen that by means of this valve the water is admitted so as to strike the buckets of the wheel at the same angle, whether its volume is large or small, and also, that while giving direction to.

the eurreiit, it does not retard its passage, but allowsI it to strike said wheel in an unbroken, althoughdivided stream.

Having illus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention,

What Iclairn as new, and desire to `secure by Letters Patent, is'- v v The combination of the buckets B B with the guides D D, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

Also, the reversing-guides D D, within the casing (;,dsubstantially as shown and for the purpose speci- Also, the wheel A, provided with two or more sets of buckets, B `B, in combination with the casing C, guides D D, and spiral valves, H H, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the pur pose shown.

Also, the pivoted, adj ustable. spiral valves H H, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and for the purpose speciied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand, this 25th day of June, 1869.

' H. A. CHADWIGK. lflitnesses:

Guo. S. PRINDLE, EDM. F. BROWN. 

